Along With One Of Ours
by AvengersIsLife
Summary: Clint and Natasha go for a bike ride before they have to depart for their missions. Clint is leaving to observe the tesseract, and Natasha is off to interrogate a Russian general. Clint finally admits his feelings.
1. Chapter 1

Natasha's long legs pumped quickly, turning the pedals, trying to get through the tall grass. Clint followed behind her, his legs working just as hard. A clicking noise followed her switching the gears down to 3 as the bike tires hit the flat road. Behind her, she heard Clint do the same.

They had just been informed that they were being looked over for the Avengers' Initiative. Director Fury had told them that the World Security Council was very interested in their work, especially the missions completed together. The Council said that they had a team mentality about them that would serve the Initiative well.

Natasha and Clint were dumbfounded. They despised working in teams. They wouldn't trust anyone other than themselves, or Coulson. On the occasion they were paired with another group, they would be friendly enough, but get the job completed as quickly as possible so that they could return to their deadly duo. They didn't like having others' lives on the line in a team mission, or the possibility that there could be double agents amongst their teammates. Too much distrust.

Crickets chirped as they rode along, signaling the coming of night. Warm gusts of air breathed into their faces, mixing with the occasional burst of cool wind. The air smelled of rain and greenery. Natasha was at peace on these bike rides; it gave her time to think.

The quinjet was leaving in an hour to take them to their missions; Clint was leaving to observe some energy power called the tesseract, and Natasha was headed to Russia to deal with some Russian general and his ring of weapons dealers. They didn't know how long they would be apart, but they hoped it wasn't for long; the nightmares they had sharpened the longer they were away from each other.

Darkness fell quickly, surrounding the two agents in a wall of blackness. Natasha heard rather than felt Clint pull up beside her, matching his pace with hers.

"Nat, what's up? You still mad about that whole Initiative thing?" His voice was calm and cool, but Natasha knew better; on the inside, he was just as upset as she was.

"Yeah, a little. I mean, they can't force us into something we don't want to do... Can they?"

Clint laughed. "This is S.H.I.E.L.D. we're talking about. They can make us do anything just by threatening to decrease our pay."

Natasha sighed. She wasn't in the mood for stale jokes. "Clint, the others who are on the list for the Initiative. Do you trust them?"

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Her face was set, and her eyes set straight forward. Street lights grew in the distance as they pedaled along the road.

"Well, I haven't met any of them, other than Thor. And he was just intent of getting his hammer out of the ground. Didn't really show much of that moral gushy stuff when I was around. Coulson said he's okay though. What about that bighead Stark guy?"

Natasha snorted. "As far as trust goes, I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole. He's unreliable. He would rather save his own skin than anyone else's. Although I have to admit, his girlfriend is pretty important to him, and around her, he isn't so bad. Pepper, I think her name was. I don't understand why Fury didn't induct him into the Initiative already; once Stark knew about it, he hacked into every S.H.I.E.L.D. file there was to get information on it. He knows more about it than we do."

"I know why. If he is half the jerk that you said he is, then I don't think his ego would go over well with the rest of the team. You didn't recommend him for the Initiative. Fury listens to you. More than he does with me anyway..." Clint added as an afterthought.

"I don't sneak around in the air vents trying to prank rookies," laughed Natasha.

"That was one time!" exclaimed Clint.

Suddenly, the watch on Clint's wrist lit up and emitted a shrill noise. He clicked a button on the outer edge, and Coulson's voice came over the line.

"Barton, you and Romanoff need to be back here in thirty minutes. Plane takes off in forty-five."

"We will sir. Don't get all worked up. If it will help, go yell at a few of the pilots and see if they'll leave early just to make it a challenge for us."

"That's not funny Barton. Romanoff, make sure he gets back here before wheels up, or else I'm sticking both of you on desk duty for the next month."

"Great, thanks Clint. You just put a major weight onto my shoulders," Natasha sighed as Coulson signed off.

Clint laughed "You know he's joking. You sure this road comes back around to base?"

"They don't call it Jefferson Circle for anything Clint."

"Just checking! So besides the billionaire and god, who else is Fury considering?"

"You remember Harlem?"

"You're joking. The Hulk? Really?"

"Don't sound so excited. He's more than anything you or I could handle."

"I beg to differ. A few tranquilizing arrows, and the beast is down for the count."

"You and your arrows. Anyway, Fury isn't looking at the monster. He's looking at the Doctor behind the green."

"That fugitive, Hulk's other half? What do we need him for?"

"He's more than likely going to be the brains behind everything. I can see him working quite nicely with our trouble maker Iron Man. Only question is, what about trust?"

"Nat, I hate to say this, but we're going to have to trust them if we're forced to work with them. I know, I don't like the sound of it, but it might happen. However, I do know one thing; if any of them attempt to injure you, or turn against us, I will personally shoot an arrow into their knee, followed by another to their eye. Nat, I don't care what Fury says; the moment the rest of them turn against us, I promise that I will do whatever it takes for us to get out, and take a long vacation while everything dies down."

"You're funny Clint."

"I'm not joking Nat."

"Okay, how about the super soldier?"

"Captain America? You know how obsessed Coulson is about him? I was there when Coulson found out he was still alive. He screamed like a girl, then went on and on about getting some trading cards signed."

"Captain America trading cards?"

"They're vintage. He's very proud."

"Ha, wow. Never took Coulson for being the fangirl type."

"Fanboy Nat. Learn your gender types."

"If I wasn't on a bike right now, I would punch you."

"And I believe you would. So what do you think of the soldier? Trustworthy?"

"If Coulson thinks so, sure. But the next question is will he trust us? We're spies, not exactly the trustworthy type."

"So now you're worried about others trusting us? Gosh Nat, one problem at a time."

"You know, I could get off this bike and tackle you to the ground."

"And I would enjoy that immensely."

"Barton."

"Romanoff."

A large building grew in the distance with bright lights aimed on a plane on the runway. Agents were swarming like ants, shouting instructions and information to one another across large distances.

"Looks like they're doing pre-diagnostics. How much time do we have Clint?"

"Ten minutes."

Suddenly Natasha swerved off of the road and parked her bike on the side, before stepping into the cover of the few trees on the edge. Clint followed without hesitation.

She stood by a tree, her face hidden in the shadows.

"Clint, I can't-"

Clint moved in and kissed her before she could say another word. She was frozen for a moment, then kissed him back will equal fervor. When they parted, they were both slightly out of breath. Clint's hand was on her back, holding her close, the other at the base of her neck, while Natasha's were wound around his back.

"Before you yell at me for that uncalled for action, answer this; would anything else have shut you up? Nat, you're scared, but you won't admit it. And that's okay, but I don't want you to forget. Nat, I'm here too. I'm right here with you, and though you might have the slightest fear that I'm going somewhere, I'm not. Natasha, you know I love you. I always will."

Instead of shying away like she usually does, Natasha stood, staring into Clint's stormy eyes, flashing with a fiery passion that matched her own.

"Clint-"

"Natasha. Don't start with that love is for children crap. You might fool the drunken agents at the bar, but you can't fool me, so don't even try."

With that, Clint leaned down again, kissed her on her nose, then turned back to their bikes, leaving Natasha in the trees.

* * *

When Clint pulled up to base, Coulson was waiting.

"Barton, you're five minutes late. Where's Romanoff?"

"She's coming. Her chain got screwed up, and she said that I was the one you threatened, and that I should get to base as soon as possible. I tried to argue with her, but you know Natasha."

Coulson opened his mouth to reply, but Natasha pulled up beside Clint with a huff.

"Sorry, chain got caught on something."

Slightly suspicious of the two, Coulson just nodded.

"You need to get on board immediately. We're going to drop Natasha off first, since Moscow is closest, and then Barton, you and I will continue on to California, okay?"

The agents nodded, then walked by Coulson, heading towards the plane, a tense silence falling between them.

* * *

Natasha was just running over her parachute, making sure everything was in check, when Clint walked up behind her. His hands ghosted over hers, helping her zip up the pack and adjust the straps. She wouldn't look at him, but when everything was in place, she grabbed his hands and held on tight.

He spoke very quietly, but Natasha heard every word.

"Natasha, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have crossed the boundary. That was uncalled for."

He paused.

"I don't, however, regret it. I swore to myself the day I met you, and understood everything that had happened to you, that I would never hurt you. I'm holding by my promise. Tasha, everything will be okay. If it isn't, I will make it okay. I just need you to trust me."

Natasha looked up. Her bright green eyes were blank, but Clint knew her well enough to know she was terrified inside.

"Whatever happens with this stupid Initiative thing, we'll be okay. Alright? Don't have too much fun killing people without me."

A siren sounded over the intercom, signaling that they were over the drop zone. Clint grabbed Natasha's duffle bag, then helped her to her feet. She was still gazing at him, with renewed intensity. Clint wasn't paying attention.

"Clint."

The archer looked up.

"I love you."

"I love you too Tasha."

Clint leaned into her, and she stood on her tip toes, bringing their lips together yet again.

When they broke apart, Natasha hovered her finger above the drop button.

"Nat?"

"Yeah Hawk?"

"Seriously. If I learn that you've discovered some giant weapons and child trafficking ring and take them down single handedly, I'm dropping everything and flying to you immediately because you _cannot _have that much fun without me."

Natasha flashed a grin.

"And if I learn that that energy cube or whatever it is something more than something to make weapons with, I'm coming to you. Deal?"

Clint nodded, letting out a grin as Natasha smiled, hit the drop button, then fell gracefully out of the plane, twirling and twisting like the acrobat she was.

* * *

Less than a month later, Natasha got a call. Clint had been compromised; her worst fears confirmed. Now nothing mattered, only Clint. If those idiot so called Avengers got in her way, so be it. Clint needed her. She was going to be there.


	2. Chapter 2

**So some people have asked me to go through The Avengers following my story with Clint and Natasha on the bike ride. I had no intentions to take it any farther, but thanks to you all who asked me to, ideas to continue this story have popped up in my head! I hope you enjoy the continuing chapters, and I accept any thoughts you have on this!**

* * *

"Romanoff, Coulson and The Captain are arriving. They need you on deck."

Natasha sighed, tearing her eyes away from the computer screen. Clint's profile was pulled up, as well as every detail pertaining to his last mission where he was taken over by some Asgardian named Loki. She had memorized every detail, but still pulled up a blank as to where he might be.

As she made her way out of the room, several agents avoided her eyes, knowing full and well she was highly dangerous, especially with her partner now missing and under the control of something they couldn't explain. She didn't care, but she wished that they wouldn't act like that; she hated standing out, exposed.

"Romanoff, tell Coulson he's needed in the control center, okay?"

It was Fury's voice.

"Yes sir."

"I heard that you and the doctor just got in. Is he stable?"

"Yeah, Doctor Banner is fine."

"I've got his room set up for him, just in case."

Natasha sighed.

"Is that really necessary?"

"You want to deal with a rampaging monster on the loose, then fine by me. I'll leave him to you if he hulks out."

"Just as long as we get Barton back in one piece, I honestly don't care what happens."

Bright light pooled around her as she stepped out onto the top deck. Several quinjets were flying around, but Natasha zoned in on one landing in the center of the platform. She took a deep breath, then stepped forward. Here comes the part she hated the most; trying to gain trust.

Natasha walked up to Coulson and a tall, strong, blonde haired man.

"Agent Romanoff, Captain Rodgers."

"Hi." Short and cold. Perfect.

Natasha turned to Coulson. "They need you on the bridge. They're starting the face trace."

"I'll meet you there."

Coulson walked away, leaving Natasha standing awkwardly with Captain Rodgers.

"It was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. I thought Coulson was going to swoon."

She remembered what Clint had told her not too long ago. It felt like a life time ago.

"Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?"

Captain Rodgers looked at her quizzically.

"Trading cards?"

"They're vintage, he's very proud."

The two moved towards a small man, looking nervous as people rushed by, yelling orders and carrying equipment.

"Doctor Banner!"

Captain Rodgers moved forward towards the man. Natasha hung back, studying the two. She had had the pleasure of meeting the doctor in Calcutta, and she wasn't exactly willing to trust him just yet. He had tested whether or not she was good under pressure, as well as see what she would do if threatened. She had taken a whole S.H.I.E.L.D. strike team with her, just in case something happened, and he had easily revealed that she did not trust him.

"Oh hi, they told me you'd be coming."

"Word is you can find the cube."

Doctor Banner looked slightly uncomfortable. Natasha had a good idea why. She had watched the clip of him in Harlem with Barton before she had left.

"Is that the only word on me?"

Captain Rodgers looked closely at him.

"Only word I care about."

Doctor Banner nodded, then glanced around.

"It must be strange for you, all of this."

Captain Rodgers looked at a group of trainees who were jogging by, their feet stepping in time.

"This is actually kind of familiar."

Natasha watched them, trying to determine if she should trust them. Would Clint want her to? Of course he would. She was so lost in thought about her partner that she nearly jumped when she overheard Coulson on the comms.

"Hey, we're about to take off. Might want to come down to the bridge. We got some more stats on Barton's whereabouts."

"Alright, I'll get these two inside. Any word on Stark?"

"He's on his way."

Natasha moved over to the two men.

"Gentlemen, you might want to step inside in a minute, it's going to get a little hard to breathe."

Doctor Banner and Captain Rodgers glanced around as the engines began to turn on.

"Is this a submarine?"

Doctor Banner snorted.

"Really, they want _me _in a submerged pressurized metal container?"

Natasha smirked at the two, remembering her first time she had seen the hellicarrier take flight. Clint had laughed for nearly an hour at the face she had made.

As the two men realized that it wasn't a submarine, Natasha had to suppress another smile as Doctor Banner laughed, and said "Oh no, this is much worse."

She had to admit, they seemed like some pretty okay guys. She led them inside, and onto the bridge. She took note of how Rodgers walked out confidently onto the platform, while Banner hung back, his eyes searching around for a way of escape. She wasn't sure she liked this.

Natasha walked in, and took in her surroundings.

Coulson was talking quietly with Agent Sitwell. Maria Hill was watching Rodgers look around, taking in this new marvel. Director Fury was standing in the middle of the bridge at his station, helping to get the hellicarrier into the air. Rodgers walked straight up to him, and handed him a ten dollar bill. Fury smiled, then walked forward.

The Director moved forward, shaking hands with Doctor Banner.

"Doctor, thank you for coming."

He nodded, glancing around shyly.

"Thanks for asking nicely. So..."

He looked down at his feet, then up at the Director.

"How long am I staying?"

Natasha restrained herself from rolling her eyes. He was so worried about himself while Barton had no control over his actions, and was basically brainwashed. She moved over to a screen nearby.

"Once we get our hands on the tesseract, you're in the wind."

Natasha flicked open Clint's file on some agent's computer, feeling Rodger's eyes on her. Thankfully Coulson took the attention away from her.

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops. If it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us."

Natasha was restless.

"That's not going to find him in time."

She meant to say them, including Doctor Selvig who was also taken, but her mind was zoned in on finding her partner. She hadn't told Coulson about the kiss yet, and when she said 'him', he looked quizzically at her. She flashed him a look that said '_not now.'_

Banner spoke up. "You have to narrow your playing field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?"

Director Fury looked at him, his eye gleaming.

"How many are there?"

"Call every lab you know, tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places."

Banner rolled up his sleeves.

"Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

Director Fury looked at Natasha.

"Agent Romanoff, would you show Dr. Banner to his laboratory, please?"

Natasha nodded, then walked past Banner.

"You're gonna love it, Doc. We got all the toys."

She wondered what Clint would say if he saw her actually trying to be friendly.


	3. Chapter 3

"Thank you, agent Romanoff, for showing me to my room."

Natasha scanned Bruce, then nodded.

"Thanks for helping. Sorry about what happened in Calcutta. It's just..."

"You don't trust me, I know. It's alright, I don't even trust myself."

"Well, no, I just trust many people either."

Bruce snorted. "That's obvious."

Natasha gave him a glare, but Bruce didn't catch it. He was already examining the equipment he had to work with.

"So, Agent Romanoff, what's it like working for S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Natasha looked slightly puzzled, shocked by this unexpected question.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you do? What is your life like? Do you always go after poor innocent scientists who are trying to stay hidden?"

Natasha laughed.

"Wouldn't _you _like to know."

Bruce paused, then put down a dangerous looking device.

"Yeah, I would. That's why I asked."

Many thoughts ran through her mind, but she couldn't help but think about how Bruce's straightforward attitude differed from Clint's sly, sarcastic remarks. The next thought she had was whether or not to lie. She really didn't trust him, but what could she lose?

"It's alright. I don't really do much, but most of my jobs are a lot more interesting than picking up explosive scientists."

"Now why don't I believe you?" Bruce laughed.

Natasha grinned and shrugged.

"Well, mostly it's simple spy work. Standard investigation." Natasha moved and sat down on the edge of a desk. "You spend most of your time traveling around from base to base, mission to mission."

Bruce nodded, preoccupied once again by some contraption.

"So you don't have a home either? I kind of got that vibe from you, except you deal with it by shutting everyone out."

"Not everyone," Natasha whispered, too quiet for Bruce to hear. She shook her head, then focused on what he had just said. Worrying about Clint wasn't helping her make friends.

"How do you deal with having no home?"

"I put my mind on something else. I help people, try to be good."

Natasha flicked her eyes to the ground, then back to Bruce, wondering if she should ask the question.

"And how do you deal with your unique situation?"

Something flashed in Bruce's eyes, but he took a deep breath and looked up.

"I try to forget about what I did in the past, and focus on what I can do in the future."

"How do you keep yourself under control?"

"You mean the other guy?" Bruce laughed, making Natasha slightly uneasy. "I-"

He paused, for Nick Fury had just entered the room. Natasha looked at him questioningly, sliding off the desk and on to her feet.

"Romanoff, we found our little Asgardian diva. He's in Stuttgart, Germany. Just thought I'd give you an update."

Natasha took a step forward. "And Clint?"

Fury looked suddenly uneasy. "We believe that he's there as well, but-"

Natasha stood up, and stormed out of the room, with Fury behind her, yelling.

"Romanoff, this is _not _your mission! You're too involved! You could compromise everything. Do NOT make me get Coulson down here."

Natasha paused, her hands balled in fists. She turned slowly around, fixing her icy glare onto Fury. He was standing a few feet behind her, his hands on his hips.

"_Thank _you. Now, _Romanoff what the hell are you doing?"_

Natasha had stepped forward, and grabbed the front of Fury's shirt.

"Listen to me, _sir, _I _will _be on that quinjet that goes to Stuttgart, and I _will _be there to help contain Barton, as well as the Asgardian, so do not tell me otherwise. I'm not just going to sit here playing it safe. By all means, run to Coulson, but he won't be able to stop me. In fact, he might even try to help me. So please, save yourself the trouble, and tell me what jet we're taking, and when."

Fury glanced down at Natasha's hand still clamped near his throat, then sighed.

"Loading deck four. Rodgers is suiting up, then meeting Agent Rockwell there. You are to accompany them to Stuttgart, but you are not to leave the plane, understood?"

Natasha didn't move, but her glare intensified.

"_Understood?"_

Natasha saw something move of the corner of her eye, and looked over to find Bruce watching her, his head poking out of the lab door.

"Yes sir." She dropped her hand, and turned away, making sure her heels sounded a little louder than they should have.

* * *

"He's, well, he's kind of-"

"Obsessed?"

"Yeah, a little. It's flattering though, just, weird."

"Well, that's Coulson for you."

Natasha listened mildly to the friendly conversation between Steve Rogers and Agent Rockwell, focusing on the location they had just been sent. They were being sent to some building where a gala was being held. Bruce hadn't yet figured out why the Asgardian would want to go there, but facial recognition had confirmed it, so that's where they were headed.

"Agent Romanoff? This is just my own curiosity, but why did you want to come? Fury told me it was just going to be me and Cap."

Natasha looked to her left at Agent Rockwell. He was piloting the quinjet, staring ahead, but even from the side Natasha could see the glint in his eyes. He knew who Agent Barton was and what he meant to her. If Natasha wasn't worried about getting to Stuttgart on time, she would have punched him right there and then. Stupid specialists.

"I didn't want to sit around while you all had all the fun. I look forward to kicking some Asgardian ass."

Rockwell snickered, while Steve looked slightly uncomfortable.

"You sure that's it?" said Rockwell as he regained his breath. Natasha kicked him when Steve wasn't looking.

"So, Agent Romanoff, who is this Clint Barton everyone seems to be talking about?" asked Steve as they came within thirty minutes of their destination.

Rockwell burst out laughing, but was silenced with a sharp blow to the ribs.

"He's an assassin, one of our best. He'd been turned by Loki's scepter, just like Dr. Selvig."

"So he's a threat?"

"Define threat."

"A hazard to our mission of bringing Loki in?"

Natasha took a deep breath and stared straight ahead.

"If he shows up, let me handle him. He's not a threat on purpose. He's in there somewhere."

"You sure about that?"

Natasha closed her eyes.

"He's got to be."

* * *

"Rogers, you need to get down on the ground. He's cornered at least a hundred people."

"I'm on it." Steve hit a button, opening up the back hatch, jumping out without a parachute.

Rockwell stared on with fascination, his mouth gaping wide. Natasha just shook her head, and scanned the surrounding area for thermal imaging. Clint was nowhere to be seen. She focused in on the battle below.

"Loki, drop your weapon and stand down!"

The Asgardian responded by launching a jet of blue energy straight at the quinjet. Natasha avoided it at the last second, and Rockwell nearly fell out of his seat.

"The guy's all over the place," she mumbled to herself. Suddenly, loud music blasted over the speakers. ACDC, Shoot To Thrill. Natasha held back a smile.

"Agent Romanoff. You miss me?"

Tony Stark, dressed in his Iron Man suit, flew out of nowhere, blasting Loki in the chest, then landing heavily next to Captain America, while he trained every weapon in his suit on the Asgardian.

"Make your moves reindeer games."

Loki lowered his staff, shimmering as he dropped his god-like look.

"Good move."

Captain America walked over to Tony.

"Mr. Stark."

"Cap."

Natasha rolled her eyes. They were wasting time. Rockwell began landing the plane, while Natasha watched the camera feed from inside the offices. Something moved in the lab, and she zoomed in on it as Tony and Steve loaded their prisoner onto the plane. She saw three men, moving about in the lab. They were taking some mineral out of a container, and as the drawer opened, the light illuminated the man's face that was taking the substance out.

Natasha stopped breathing. Her eyes narrowed as she stood, pushing Rockwell out of the way as he told her that she was to stay in her seat. Steve and Tony looked up, and made half-hearted attempts to stop her, but she gave them such a look that they were trembling against the wall. She left the quinjet, breaking into a run towards the lab.

Once she got there, the men were just leaving. One with a quiver of arrows and a bow stopped in his tracks, glaring at the redhead in his path. He handed the iridium to the two men accompanying him.

"Go. We need to meet up Dr. Selvig immediately. He wants it completed by tomorrow morning. Go!"

The two men ran off, but Natasha didn't give them another thought. Her argument was with the archer.

"Clint. Snap out of it. This isn't you. Come on Clint. We need you."

Clint cocked his head to the side, like a curious little puppy.

"Yeah? And how do you know that. How do you know this isn't me? You don't know me. You're nothing but a pretty little face." He sneered at her.

Natasha tried to hide the hurt, but didn't have much time to collect herself. Clint sent an arrow right at her heart. She turned to dodge it, and she heard it stick into the wall behind her. She whipped back to where he had been standing, but Clint was gone.

* * *

"I gave you direct orders Natasha! This is why I can't trust you! I told you to STAY IN THE JET. But did you listen? _Hell _no!"

Natasha sighed as she listened to Fury chew her out over the intercom. Rockwell sat silent beside her, while Tony and Steve kept watch on their prisoner.

"Sir, Barton-"

"I don't give a damn about Barton, do you understand me? I care about the _safety _of _mankind! _In case you haven't noticed, there is a very real possibility of mankind being destroyed by a powerful cube that is not in our possession. _That _is your mission, Romanoff, to save the world. It's not your usual standard go in and cross someone off, but I expect you to _GET. IT. DONE."_

Natasha held her breath, then slowly let it out. A painful silence settled throughout the quinjet as what Fury had said settled around them. Tony and Steve didn't really understand, but Rockwell lowered his eyes, sneaking a glance at Natasha. Fury seemed to realize what he had said, and backtracked.

"I'm sorry Romanoff, I care about Barton. Heck, who else would keep the rookies in check? But Natasha, there is a greater good at stake here. We'll get Barton back, but don't forget your main mission."

They heard the Director sigh.

"Is he saying anything?"

"Not a word."

"Just get him here. We're low on time."

Natasha clicked off the com link with the Director, then snuck a glance at Tony and Steve standing beside each other in the back.

"I don't like it."

Tony turned and looked at Steve.

"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"

"I don't remember it being that easy. This guy packs a wallop."

"Still, you are pretty spry, for an older fellow. What's your thing, Pilates?"

"What?" Steve turned to him, confused.

"It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle." Tony could barely hold back a laugh.

Steve's eyes narrowed. "Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you."

Lightning streaked across the sky, and Natasha felt Rockwell tense up beside her.

"Where did this come from?"

Tony, however, was focused on the 'Rock of Ages.'

"What? Scared of a little lightning?"

With a look of pure terror, Loki said "I'm not overly fond of what follows."

Suddenly, something big landed on the roof. Tony and Steve jumped, and the back hatch suddenly opened. A man with long, golden brown hair, wearing full Asgardian garb flew in, grabbed Loki, then took off again, swinging a hammer in his right hand.

"Another Asgardian?" Natasha yelled over the roaring wind.

"Think this guy's a friendly?" asked Steve.

"It doesn't matter. If he kills Loki or frees him, the tesseract's lost." Tony slipped on his facemask as Steve did the same.

"Stark, we need a plan of attack!"

"I have a plan. Attack."

As Natasha watched Tony jump out of the plane, she was reminded forcefully as to why she trusted no one. SHe shook her head, and saw Steve preparing to jump out.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap," she told him.

"I don't see how I can," he replied.

"These guys come from legend. They're basically gods."

"There's only one God, ma'am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that."

Natasha rolled her eyes as Steve too jumped out of the plane. These people were _really _testing her patience. Rockwell angled the plane back around so that they could pick up the now battling superheroes. Suddenly someone called through the coms, and Natasha flicked the link back on.

"How're you doing Natasha?"

Natasha sighed, shaking her head and smiling.

"Not so well Phil."


End file.
